Beovision LX was the result of several generations of development. Superb technology offering a wealth of functions. And the elegant design was sheer pleasure to look at. Without doubt, Beovision LX was a thoroughbred, according to Bang & Olufsen’s 1990 catalogue. And the Beocord VX5000 video cassette recorder a worthy stable mate.
Bang & Olufsen continually seeks new ways not only to streamline operation and function but to simplify exteriors. The powerful speakers of Beovision LX had a totally smooth facade when they were originally introduced in 1990. The contrast screen in front of the picture tube stretches from the very top to the very bottom of the cabinet. And the lacquer was as polished as a grand piano’s.
The result was unity; no knobs or displays interrupted the flow.
You could keep an eye on more than one programme at a time by letting a miniature picture run in one corner of the screen. Or you could show 4, 9 or 16 ‘clips’ from programmes on air at that very moment. Beovision LX 5500 also gave fast, direct access to to four Teletext pages you used the most. And there was room for a satellite receiver to be installed as well as using the TV set for the connection of extra speakers, loop amplifier for the hard of hearing and TV game consoles.
By mounting the whole TV set on a motorised base, you could sit in your armchair and turn the TV up to 35 degrees to each side with just one press of your Beolink 1000 remote control terminal.
By programming it into the set, the TV then turned automatically towards your favourite viewing position every time the set switches on. And, naturally, the TV returned to centre stage each time you switched it off.
Colours: Beovision LX 5500 / 4500 – high-gloss black, white or grey or rosewood.
A stage designer can creative positive associations of purity by using predominantly white or light grey in stage sets and costumes. White and grey symbolize a simple style of living and, as the audience, we associate this virtue in our mind’s eye with the person who decorates with, or dresses in, these light colours. In interior design white and grey give a modern impression with everything blending together, perfectly executed down to the tiniest detail. For those who prefer an all-white look,. Bang & Olufsen in 1990 dressed its Beovision LX range completely in white; even the back.
You could put Beovision LX White Line in the middle of a large room if you so desired. It looked discreet and elegant and spoke its own, well-modulated design language. If a pleasant light grey was more to your taste, the Beovision LX range was available in a light grey finish too. All the other technicalities internally were identical to the other LX family members.
Beovision LX 5000 and LX6000 were the classic Bang & Olufsen televisions, with the loudspeakers on either side of the screen. They were equipped with 66cm and 63cm Black Line picture tubes and VisionClear which makes the picture sharper and the colours clearer. Automatic adjustment of the contrast and light strength continuously kept the picture optimal under different light conditions in the room.
The powerful loudspeakers were based on a two-way bass reflex loudspeaker system that delivered the high sound quality of more and more TV programmes and video tapes. Both TVs were equipped with A2 and NICAM stereo systems.
A BeoSat LM satellite receiver could be built in, allowing access to 99 TV or radio programmes via a parabolic aerial. A D2MAC decoder could also be built in. Bang & Olufsen made it possible for you to pre-program the recording of video programmes from the satellite. The satellite receiver and video recorder were operated by the same Beolink® remote control that operated the TV.
The same remote control also did the work if the Beovision LX6000 and LX5000 were coupled to a Bang & Olufsen music system. Other connection options were headphones, decoders, TV games and camcorder.
Beovision LX6000 could be combined with Beocord VX7000 hi-fi video recorder. It could also be combined with a Bang & Olufsen music system or with separate loudspeakers such as BeoLab 6000 or 8000. All operations were controlled via a Beolink 1000
The sound reproduction achieved by Bang & Olufsen’s CD 3500 CD player was truly outstanding. It played both 12cm and 8cm compact discs and had an ingenious ‘step’ function which allowed you to go straight to a chose track selected from anywhere on the disc. The CD player was one of the most technologically-advanced pieces of hi-fi on the market at the time and yet was one of the easiest to operate. The explicit display always indicated what the CD player was doing all the time – for example, which track was being played, and how many tracks there were on the played compact disc.
Beogram CD 3500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 3500 hi-fi system.
Beogram CD 7000 was distinctive because of its authentic sound reproduction as well as its large dynamic range. It was equally suitable for symphonic music and rock. Its many functions allowed you to pre-programme tracks for playback in any desired order. This CD player was the last in line as far as separates were concerned, replaced with the likes of Beocenter 2300 and Beocenter 2500.
Features:
Exclusive computer-controlled CD loading mechanism with extremely fast access time
CD tray machined from a 4mm solid aluminium plate for maximum mechanical stability and convenient loading
Disc tray cut-outs with rubber lining for 12 and 8cm discs
Spring-suspended CD mechanism and magnetic disc clamp
Special functions, such as scan and sequence programming, were carried out from Beolink 7000
Dynamic readout on Beolink 7000 of all functions, track bar, remaining time, elapsed time, scan, etc.
CD players are now among the simplest constructions in the electronic world and standard players are based on very few components, a simple electronic layout and use of economical materials, both inside the product and in the cabinet. In the construction of CD7000 the main objectives were the achievement of excellent mechanical stability, convincing sonic qualities and easy access to the CD functions.
The loading mechanism, the way the clamp function and the suspension of the CD mechanism were all points that received special attention. The high quality of the mechanical solutions was continued in the electronic circuitry and both were highly integrated and interdependent of each other.
The CD tray was very solid and elegant and the loading mechanism extremely durable. The tray was made from a 4mm thick sheet of aluminium and the conical recess for the CD was milled and diamond polished to the smallest of tolerances – to prevent dust gathering in the recess. The circular rubber profile protected the disc during loading and unloading, while the triangular cut-out facilitated unloading. To avoid static build-up the tray was connected to ground and to avoid ‘ringing’, a damping plate was placed at the innermost part of the tray, inside the cabinet.
The motorised movement of the CD tray was very fast and gentle. The movement was controlled by the microcomputer via an optocoupler and was a very stable mechanical solution with two parallel chrome plated brass rail tubes and precision plastic roller bearings. A nylon coated steel cord wire was applied for maximum duration and quiet transport. The electronically governed transport was very smooth, started the movement slowly, then speeded up very quickly, decelerating when the disc approached the clamp. Furthermore, it secured against possible damage occurring from obstacles either in front of the tray or in between tray and cabinet.
While the tray approached the clamp the disc was gently lifted off the tray and clamped between the CD mechanism and magnet. The magnet was placed on a bridge across the CD mechanism and when it engaged the disc the magnet was lifted away from the bridge. While the disc was rotating, the magnet was not in contact with the cabinet, but only the disc and CD mechanism.
This assembly was insulated very efficiently from the cabinet to prevent vibrations from the outside. A special suspension was designed, with 4 steel springs, encased in rubber. The springs ensured that the CD mechanism was fixed in the horizontal plane (i.e. across the disc), while a certain amount of movement was allowed in the vertical plane (i.e. up and down). Test showed that the servo system counteracts movements in the vertical plane better than in the horizontal plane, and the suspension thus was a good compromise with regard to immunity from external vibrations. The inherent frequency of the suspension was placed at 25 Hz to avoid tracking and focusing errors, which were prone to emerge if the CD mechanism was subjected to vibrations around 100 Hz and upward. Furthermore, at this frequency interference with the inherent frequency of the CD cabinet was also avoided.
The electronics
The CD format is one of the most precisely defined audio formats, but it is still possible to design differentiated products. The electronic solutions in CD 7000 were just as elaborate, the computer controlled loading just being one of the elements. Separate power supplies were available for the digital and analogue parts, and in connection with a careful print layout Bang & Olufsen achieved the most respectable electronic specifications. The digital-to-analogue filtering was special as well. First, a standard digital filtering (4 x oversampling) was applied to filter away the sidebands below 176,4 kHz. The analogue filtering at 176,4 kHz was carried out by a modified order filter. To avoid remnants of the 176,4kHz sideband having an effect on the filtering, a special suction circuit cut off the frequencies above 156,4 kHz. The modified filter was known as a ‘Bessel elliptical filter’. It had a very gentle filter characteristic and was not susceptible to ripple phenomena, phase distortion or ageing.
The functions
As with the other sources, operation was via the Beolink 7000, with full display readout of all functions. Special functions available included: the space function, where a pause of 4 seconds was added between tracks to facilitate track search on a tape recorded from CD 7000. Scan gave playback of the first 15 seconds of each track and was especially useful in connection with a sequence programming.
While you were scanning the CD, tracks could either be selected (compiled) or omitted and when the last track had been scanned, playback of the programmed sequence commenced. Sequence programming could also be carried out independently of the scan function and if you used the select programming, playback could be non-chronological. If you used the reject programming to leave out specific tracks, playback would be chronological.
Beogram 7000 could, ideally, be used as part of Beosystem 7000
If you wanted to indulge yourself with the finest sound quality then you’d do no better than listening to your favourite pieces of music on Bang & Olufsen’s Beogram CD 6500. Beogram CD 6500 was a replacement for its predecessor, Beogram CD 5500.
It played both 12cm and 8cm compact discs, and housed sophisticated and advanced digital technology. And it offered sound reproduction which would satisfy even the most demanding of listeners.
Beogram CD 6500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 6500 hi-fi system.
The quality of the Beogram CD 5500 CD player took time to fully appreciate. For example, the elegant disc tray with its completely smooth and silent drive. Or the way that the disc drive system was mounted to isolate it from vibrations. Perhaps you were most impressed by the way that a built-in circuit in the player compensated for the tiniest faults on the disc itself (contrary to popular belief they’re not always perfect!). Finding tracks was both fast and easy – it was necessary to just ask the Master Control Panel for the track number you wanted. You could programme tracks to be played in any order, or sample each track briefly. There was a light display which showed you the length of the track you were playing and the remaining time on the disc – invaluable for recording.
Though very similar to look at to Beogram CD 50, this all-new Philips-based machine was a radical departure, both in manufacturing and technical terms. Beogram CD 5500 was the first CD player to be entirely designed by Bang & Olufsen and with the exception of the optical deck, it was entirely made by the company too. The performance and reliability of the Beogram CDX models probably influenced the choice of the Philips radial single beam pickup system and brushless DC spindle motor.
Externally, a slim aluminium plate machined out to the size of a compact disc replaced the Beogram CD 50 door and drawer loading system and it moved quickly and silently, again in marked contrast to its predecessor. The deck was on the right-hand side side of the fascia as opposed to Beogram CD 50 left-hand side arrangement, so that the loading of a cassette into the new Beocord 5500 tape recorder, which you had the option of placing below, was not obstructed. Later versions had a concentric 8cm circular recess machined into the loading plate, to accept CD singles.
With the Beogram CD 5500 there was no infra-red sensor option, and the front panel controls were even more basic, so at very least a Beomaster 5500 and Beolink 1000 terminal were needed to use it properly. On the back panel, there was a 7-pin Datalink socket for Beomaster 5500, and a single phono digital output connection, for which there was never a use within the B&O range.
The performance of this outstanding machine was never bettered, and with the exception of minor styling and software revisions, it remained virtually unchanged until the end of the separates system range with the Beogram CD 7000.
Beogram CD 5500 could be controlled via the two-way Master Control Panel MCP 5500 as part of Beosystem 5500.
It’s a fact that not all compact disc players are ideal for all types of music. Some of them seem to highlight certain parts of the frequency range. But you can be confident that Bang & Olufsen’s CD players never discriminate between rock and roll and classical. They smooth over faults in the CD very cleverly too, because not all compact discs are perfect. So it’s just as well that Bang & Olufsen CD players are!
Beogram CD 3300 was part of Beosystem 3300 although it could have been used as a stand-alone item.
Beogram CD 50 was Bang & Olufsen’s very first CD player designed to be part of a stacking system and first featured in the 1983/84 product catalogue and allowed Beosystem 5000 owners to use all the buttons on the Master Control Panel 5000. Beogram CD 50 was a front-loading CD player.
The disc was placed in the motorised drawer which opened at a touch and closed either by light finger-tip pressure or by operating the PLAY control. If the disc was inserted incorrectly (upside down as compared to most other CD players of the time) the drawer opened automatically to allow the user to replace it.
Although the CD50 is quite limited in operation from the front panel as a stand-alone unit, it is a very nice sounding and very functional machine utilising Burr-Brown decoders and a large array of RAM buffering. RCA outputs are available as well as the traditional DIN connection.
Since Beogram CD 50 was designed as a component of Beosystem 5000, it had a Datalink connection to allow remote control of all functions via the Beomaster’s Master Control Panel. Two phono output sockets and a 7-pin Datalink connection were provided for this purpose. However, since it was the only CD player in the B&O range in 1984, it was chosen for use with other Beosystems. An optional remote keypad – Terminal CD 50 – that could transmit commands to an infra-red sensor on the Beogram’s display fascia was provided to allow remote control of the unit when not used with Beosystem 5000. The optional Terminal was also recommended for those wishing to combine Beogram CD 50 with non-Bang & Olufsen hi-fi systems.
Strengths: the laser device is very beefy with plenty of heat sinking. Lots of shielding and grounding. Burr-Brown IC decoders utilised.
Weaknesses: without the remote control the unit will only carry out a few operations from the front panel: Open, Close, Display options, Play, Skip to selection, and Standby/Off. The CD must be inserted upside down as in some older Pioneer-type CD players.
The SCAN function was a feature unique to Beogram CD 50. You could sample the first 12 seconds of each track and either reject it from your programme or STORE its location for inclusion in a later playing sequence. A comprehensive display capability meant that you always knew what was happening, what CD track was playing or due to be played, elapsed and remaining time of each track, and so on.
Bang & Olufsen CD50 review
” This review was approached with more than the usual interest. B&O announced the fact that they were to introduce a CD player to match their 5000 system in the region of two years ago. For a long time however the promised player was not forthcoming, the main reason according to B&O being that they didn’t think the medium sounded good enough.
A few months back, B&O released first player, the CDX, and just before this went to press the CD50 designed to match the 5000 system was finally announced. The sample sent was a prototype and guaranteed to be ‘in accordance with specifications’. The usual warnings apply with such products and detail findings should be treated as tentative.
The CD?50 is one of the most impressively finished players in group; arguably the most impressive with its acres of brushed aluminium and immaculately moulded plastic parts The machine operates with utmost decorum, but allows the user plenty of thumb twiddling time whilst it laboriously retracts the drawer, reads the contents and initiates play. Tracking performance was good through to exceptional and immunity from shocks even better.
Description
A physically large player, the CD50 is an aesthetic match for B&O’s 5000 system and can be operated by the system remote control, which allows access to the play and programming features – the latter accepting sequences up to 36 tracks long. But it an also be used in foreign, non-B&O systems, either as is, or with an optional remote control. This is the £34 Terminal CD50, which is also advantageous even for 5000 system owners as many functions are not available without its help. System 5000 owners will therefore find themselves in the uncomfortable position of requiring two remote controls. I spoke to the company about this, who tell me that this will be taken into account (whatever that means) in a revamp due probably late 1986.
As a standalone item, the only facilities available to the user (unless I’ve missed something – there are no instructions) are play from the beginning or any other track, but the search is strictly sequential and in the forward direction only. The controls are micro switches behind the front panel: hit the right-hand edge and play starts, hit it again and the track count increases by one, though this can only be done with the disc loaded and table of contents in memory. The middle section toggles the excellent display between various time and track/index indications. The remote control, which was not ready in time for the review, adds the following: intro scan (which plays the first few seconds of each track), cueing (presumably with an audible output), index search, programming controls and a numeric keypad for direct track selection.
The Technical Bit
The CD?50 is based on an Aiwa transport, a fact betrayed by the upside down disc loading requirement. Even for a prototype the insides are a bit of a mess, the unit being crowded with wires everywhere and modifications by the bucket load. Decoding is 16 with 2x oversampling using a Yamaha chip and steep L-C aliasing filters. Component quality is just average. Measured performance is about average too. The frequency response is a bit wayward: there’s a small dip between above 1kHz, recovering to peak at 16kHz before slowly rolling away. Other figures were about average, but the low level waveform was better than usual.
Listening
B&O have accomplished in the CD-50 something which they may not have set out to do: to make a player that emulates much of the euphony and openness of good analogue sources e.g. records and combines it with typical digital strengths – low noise, convenience and the rest. There is a certain consistency, despite the 16KHz output peak, and the overall impression is one of pleasantness and clarity. However, the bass end is not ideally controlled and there was also some masking of fine detail.
Verdict
An excellent but costly player, sound quality is better than average and facilities pretty comprehensive if purchased with the remote control.
Pros…
A very pleasant sounding player that clearly benefits from the change that Bang & Olufsen have wrought to the off-the-shelf components used inside. Styling is excellent if you like this kind of thing – the player will suit those allergic to the knob-bedecked run of the mill.
… and Cons
Good as the B&O sounds, it’s a doubtful proposition in value for money terms ? the price is definitely on the high side. B&O also seem to have got their knickers in a twist with the control system and the 5000 system remote control, which controls every other part of the system, only accesses the most basic of facilities on the CD player. ”
In building the Beogram 4500 turntable, Bang & Olufsen applied all its classic principles to ensure reproduction as close to perfection as possible.
The electronically-controlled tangential arm played each record exactly as it was recorded. And there were built-in systems that helped prevent vibrations reaching the cartridge or turntable. Beogram 4500 employed a finer, ultra-light MMC2 cartridge that combined distinguished sound reproduction with maximum protection for your records.
Beogram 4500 could be used as part of the Beosystem 4500 hi-fi system, and – having an inbuilt RIAA pre-amplifier can be plugged straight into the AUX port of your modern B&O equipment and enjoyed with the minimum of fuss!
This good-looking tangential record player had a unique tone arm suspension system among its many outstanding features. Optimum Pivot Point (OPP) was designed by Bang & Olufsen to give you the most faithful possible sound reproduction. The pendulum suspension isolated all vibration at the back of the tone arm so that the sensitive stylus tip was completely unaffected. It also had electronic Servo-drive and was fitted with the MMC 4 cartridge. The stylus pressure was 1,2g.
Facilities: search function – backwards and forwards; repeat playing of records; Datalink for connection to Beosystems.
This was the first of the lightweight tangential decks which were to become the mainstay of the Beogram range. The expensive tangential drive system of the 8000 was dropped and even the tangential arm mechanism was considerably simplified. They did however look the part and allowed far more control using a remote than the earlier radial 5000. Many owners of Beomaster 5000s ‘upgraded’ their systems with this deck but would miss the overhead light built into the lid of the 5000 and, dare one say it, possibly lose some sound quality.
